Scoop for aircraft



NOV. 14, 1944. s, E, HEYMANN 2,362,552

SCOOP FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 2, 194s 2^sneets-sheet 1 NOV. 14, 1944.y El HEYMANN 2,362,552

Patented Nov. 14, 1944 orf-Fics @Seymour E. Hey-mann, Chicago,A lll., ,assignorwto Stewart.-Warner yCorporation,l Chicagof Ill., fa corporation o`f"Virgina igciaiym.

My invention relateswgenerally 4`'to scoops rfor cra-ft, `and more/*particularly "to` an airscoop-vof I 'this type which "lis constructed to prevent `rain- "d-rops orthe like*ironrbeingf'drawn iinto the air- "be" as' "free yfrom raindrops' as possible," and it is thus'- an' object or f" my' invention to provide an improved* air "scoop 4vin whifch'substantiallyall' Lrain isremoved from'ftheairbefore it isdrawn into the space tobesupplied;`

A furtherobiectofniy invention is to provide an improved air scoop in which a portion of the air and any particles of water or other matter heavier than air pass directly through the scoop, while only air which is substantially free from particles of water, ice, etc., ows into the space to be supplied with fresh air.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved air scoop having a means for preventing raindrops from passing into the space to be supplied with air.

A further object is to provide a scoop of the above described type which is retractible so as to oler a minimum of drag when the scoop is not in use. 1

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a, portion of the skin of an airplane showing the improved scoop applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the scoop shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.'3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of my invention, in which the scoop is retractible, the scoop being shown in operating position;

Fig. 4 is a views similar to Fig. 3 showing the scoop `in closed or inoperative position; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 5-5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 3.

Itis usually desirable that the air withdrawn from the atmosphere into an airplane be free from raindrops and particles of ice or sleet, and

` various "expedientsfhaveibe'en "-propo'sewto'liminate "the '"rain,1 etc.; from""'th`e"air. `I'rrsuch ex lp'edi'en'ts Aasfirave been proposed', it lhasbeen `suggestedthat the `scoop` `be "provided *with `an 1elbow 6 "of U-turn passageway i for the 4entering air, and that -`moisture 'collecting 'duje to `centrifugal Torce, uponthe outer surfacefb'e l"led- "to-a suitable ldrain "fV'discharge to the atmosphere. *Such scoops are," however, relatively complicated in cons-truc- 10 *tiongand necessarily 'impose la Ygreater dragthan necessary;

In accordance "with" the principles Aof "my, inve'ntion, thefscoop is 'constructed so to provide 'a maximum 'airow "from theatmosphere *into the sp'ace tob-e "supplied with' fresh air and to eliminatethe"rainprior to "its lpassa-ge through thesktnof'the airplane. Thus, in Fig. 1`. the

`sco`op"is"illustrated-as comprisinga'sheet 'metal member I0 having an inlet opening 'l2 ofstr'eamlined conformation, and may "be secured to^the skin`ll*6""of the 'airplane'by' marginal flanges' 'I8 by the use of rivets or by welding. A conduit 20 for conducting the air from the atmosphere to the space to be supplied is secured to the skin IB adjacent an opening 22 formed therein. The area of the inlet openingr I2 of the scoop is preferably somewhat greater than that of the opening 22, while the rain outlet opening I4 is relatively small. The aggregate of the areas of the openings I4 and 22 will usually be somewhat less than the area of the inlet opening I2.

When the airplane is traveling to, the right (Figs. 1 and 2), the air ilow relative to the airplane will be in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1l and 2.V Most of the air entering the inlet opening I2 of the scoop, will have its dynamic pressure head converted to static pressure head and will ilow at a lower speed through the opening 22 into the conduit 20. Any particles of rain, sleet, or the like, will, due to their greater momentum, be carried past the opening 22 and will be carried outwardly to the atmosphere with a substantial stream of air through the outlet opening I4. It will be noted that the opening I4 is relatively large and that thus a' substantial proportion of the air entering the scoop will es- In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the scoop is of the retractible type, and comprises a member 30 having an outer wall 3| and side walls 32 and 33. A pair of bars 34, 35 is rigidly secured to the inner edges of the walls 32 and 33, these bars being secured to or formed integrally with a cross piece 38, and being pivoted by means of shoulder bolts 40, 4|, to a supporting bracket 42, which is rigidly secured to the skin 44 of the airplane, as by rivets 46.

An operating lever 48 is rigidly secured to an operating shaft 50 pivoted in depending arms 52, 53 of the bracket 42. Rigidly secured to the ends of the shaft 50 are two arms 54, 55, which are connected by links 56, 51 to the bars 34, 35. The links 56, 51 are curved so that when the handle 48 is swung to the position shown in Fig. 4, the inner ends of these links pass dead center position and thus automatically lock the scoop in closed. position. A spring catch 60 may, however, be attached to the bar 35 for engagement With Vthe operating lever 48 to hold th'e latter against rattling. Similarly, .a spring catch 62 may be secured to the skin 44 in position to resiliently and frictionally engage the cross bar 38 when the scoop is in open position, as shown in Fig. 3.

An air supply conduit 66 terminates in an opening 68 formed ina conduit end plate 10,

I inlet 68 of the conduit 66, but raindrops andi which is rigidlyY secured at its ends to depressed flanges 12 of the skin 44. The lateral edges of the end plate 'I0 are bent inwardly, as shown in substantially air-tighty seal therewith and .to I .press the side walls 32 and 33 against inwardly turned flanges 16, and thereby rmly to support the side walls of the scoop,

By operating lever 48 from the position iny which it is shown in Fig. 3 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, the scoop 30 is drawn inwardly so that its outer wall 3| lies substantially iiush with the skin 44, in which position it is locked by the toggle effect of the links 56, 51 and arms 54, 55. The scoop of Figs. 3 to 8 operates in the same manner as that shown in Figs. 1 to 2 in so far as the separation of rain and other foreign particles from the air is concerned.

Due to the substantial difference in the sizes of the air inlet and outlet openings of the scoop 30, an appreciable pressure will be produced at the other foreign particles will, due to their greater energy of momentum, not be deflected to the conduit 66, but will continue flowing through the scoop with a substantial stream of air.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claim, to include within the scope of my invention all such modifications and variations by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained by the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

A retractible air scoop comprising a scoop having parallel side walls and an outer wall, said outer wall conforming in contour to the skin of the aircraft, a pivotal supporting means for said scoop comprising a pivot spaced from one end of the scoop so that when said scoop is swung outwardly it will present a large air inlet opening and a substantially smaller outlet opening, means providing in the airplane skin an air supply opening beneath such scoop and a pair of slots receiving the side walls of the scoop.

SEYMOUR E. HEYMANN. 

